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News in the Indian Papers (r)



George Supports Struggle for Democracy in Burma.
By the Asian Age staff correspondent
The Asian Age
23 March 1998
 
New Delhi, March 22: Defence minister George Fernandes stressed his
commitment support to the cause of restoration of democracy in Burma. He
was addressing the second conference of the Students' and Youths' Congress
of Burma here on Sunday.
 
Clarifying that he was participating in the function in his personal
capacity not as a defence minister of India, Mr Goerge Fernandes said he
was always been committed to the cause of democracy, freedom and human
rights struggle throughout the world. "Since a long time I have been
involved in the restoration of democracy as a Socialist in Tibet, Burma,
Bhutan and other nations," said Mr Fernandes. "The fact that the Narasimha
Rao government conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Peace prize on Aung San Suu
Kyi shows that our government is sympathetic to the cause of democracy in
Burma," sais Mr Fernandes. "It was a very positive step to which endorsed
our support to Burma and reflected the cause upheld by Ms Suu Kyi," Mr
Fernandes said.
 
"Your efforts are a cause which id dear to millions of Indians," he said
and added that India does not have any reservations whatsoever in her
commitment to the United Nations' Charter on Human Rights. "As a country
we are always opposed to any kind of undemocratic process, torture and
exploitation," he said. Mr fernandes said the Indian government has always
played an active role in this process including its efforts in liberating
South Africa from apartheid and condemning the military regime in
Pakistan. He agreed that insurgency also existed in a large scale in the
Northeast in India and said that best way to solve the problem was through
negotiations. "As a defence minister of the country I might not take the
strong stand on certain issues but as a Samata Party leader I would always
be involved in such causes both within and outside India," said Mr
Fernandes. "But as the defence minister I would do my best to curb drug,
arms and commercial smuggling in the Indo-Burma border. Speaking on the
occasion, president of the SYCB, Myat Thu, said their organization expects
India to play the leading role by exerting political pressure on the
military regime of Burma. The Students and Youth Congress comprises of
different nationalities and multi-region student and youth organizations
of Burma. It was formed in January 1996 with the aim to strengthened the
student and youth organizations of Burma to fight against the military
regime of Burma.
 
 
Govt. Determined to Fight Drug Trade: Fernandes
By the Hindu Staff Reporter
The Hindu
23 March 1998
 
New Delhi, March 22: The Union Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, said
today plugging the porous border of the North-East is the priority list of
the Central Government. The administration is determined to put an end to
the drug trade being carried through the international borders.
 
Speaking at the inaugural session of the second four-day conference of the
Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB). Mr Fernandes said the opium
and heroin trade conducted in the North-East has assumed dangerous
proportions and there is need to deal with it in a strong and decisive
manner.
 
About the insurgency problems faced by the seven states, Mr Fernandes said
he was confident these could be settled. The best way would be to settle
the differences through negotiations.
 
Addressing the gathering of representatives of Myanmarese Students Union,
he said the Indian government is committed to support to fight for
democracy anywhere in the world. While in Myanmar the fight is to restore
democracy, in Bhutan it is to usher in a new era of democratically elected
government. India always supported democratic ideals in Bangladesh and
even in Pakistan when the country under military rule.
 
Mr Fernandes said the Indian government will abide by the ideals enshrined
in the Human Rights Declaration of the United Nations. This declaration
has guided all those who wanted to respect the basic rights of the peopls.
 
The SYCB, which comprises nine students and youths organizations from
Thailand and India, representing Myanmarese interests, is an umbrella
organization fighting for the return of democracy to Myanmar. Its major
demand include unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience and
declaration of ceasefire.
(With this article, a photograph showing Mr Fernandes standing amidst
Burmese Student leaders appears in the news paper.) 
 
Burma Info (CCN)
New Delhi.